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NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Preview

Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, NBA, Playoffs,

LeBron James leads the Miami Heat into the NBA PlayoffsThe 2011 NBA Playoffs kicks off on Saturday, April 16th with the Eastern Conference's top-seeded Chicago Bulls matching up against the eighth-seeded Indiana Pacers at 1PM ET on ESPN. It's appropriate that the Bulls start the NBA postseason since they are also the NBA's top-seeded team, earning homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs with a regular season record of 62-20. So, how do the Eastern Conference series shake out for all of the playoff participants? Peep the preview below.

1. Chicago Bulls (62-20) vs. 8. Indiana Pacers (37-45)

The Bulls (36-5 at home; 26-15 on the road) are led by MVP-favorite Derrick Rose, but certainly have more than the dynamic point guard to thank for the organization's stellar success this season. The Bull have a good mix of scorers (Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer), defensive-minded big men (Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson) and solid role players (Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver). They were second overall in points allowed (91.3) and the new attitude of non-stop effort and defensive cohesiveness has a lot to do with new head coach, Tom Thibodeau, who has to be considered as the favorite Head Coach of the Year.

The Pacers (24-17 at home; 13-28 on the road) are almost a vagabond group that made the playoffs due to the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference as they are the only under-.500 team in the postseason. They made a spirited effort when assistant Frank Vogel was named interim head coach, going 20-18 and obviously made the playoffs. Danny Granger is the top talent in the group and while Darren Collison was a bit of a disappointment, other players stepped up their games, particularly Tyler Hansbrough, Josh McRoberts and Roy Hibbert. Rookie Paul George also showed flashes of big-time ability.

However, the Bulls will be too much for the Pacers who seem disjointed compared to the smooth-running machine that is the Bulls. Prediction: Bulls in four games.

 

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EndScore Report: Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs Preview

Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, NBA, Playoffs,

Derrick Rose leads the Chicago Bulls into the NBA PlayoffsIn this edition of the EndScore Report, DV and Chris look at all of the match-ups in the Eastern Conference NBA playoffs with the Chicago Bulls versus the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat versus Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks, and the Orlando Magic versus the Atlanta Hawks. Who will step up in the east? Derrick Rose and the Bulls look primed to take the conference, but the Heat and its Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh won't go down easy. Neither will the "old" Big Three of the Celtics - Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce - however, how will the trade of Kendrick Perkins affect the team. And, finally, how about the Magic and its big man, Dwight Howard. Are there implications to how the team's postseason results will affect his staying or leaving the team? Listen to what DV and Chris have to say!

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Kendrick Perkins traded away from the Boston Celtics: Good or Bad?

Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, NBA, News, Playoffs, Trades,

Kendrick Perkins traded away from the Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic, as well as a first round pick in 2012 that belonged to the Los Angeles Clippers. Is this move by the Celtics beneficial or detrimental? Perkins was an integral part of the Celtics' recent runs in the playoffs that saw them reach the NBA Finals in two of the past three seasons, including one NBA title. In fact, many think that if he hadn't gotten hurt during last year's NBA Finals, the outcome would have been different where the Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.

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